Healing Spectrum
by mystic luna mage
Summary: A deanon from the Kink meme. When an encounter witht the Yellow Scarves leaves Mikado broken, its up to Masaomi to pick up the peices. MikadoxMasaomi. rating will change by the end!
1. Revelations in the rain

AN: HELLO! Im De-anoning this from the DRRR! Kink meme, mostly because word has it that LJ is removing the comment headers in their latest re-design, which will skrew over things like the kink meme so… yeah.

Orgininal prompt:

Mikado/Kida-Comfort/Trauma/RomanceOn episode 23, Horada tells Kida that he knew who the Dollars leader was, Mikado Ryuugamine. But before Kida can come to stop them from capturing his best friend, they already have. And it's the Saki incident all over again. When Kida does arrive, he finds Mikado getting (Either raped, or badly beaten within an inch of his life), and Kida steps in to save him. Trauma issues with Mikado. Finding out his best friend was the leader of the Yellow Scarves, and the (Rape/Beating), was just too much for him. He can't live on his own for being scared of a repeat. So Kida takes him in and helps him slowly recover. Feelings between the two issue. Bonus: -Either request is fine, more then one fill is welcome 8D. I just wanna see Mikado abuse.- If the Author Anon chooses for Mikado to be beaten up...then I would like for him to at least be temporary disabled. Being he is paralyzed somewhere. And Kida has to help him around, feed him..basically take care of him...out of guilt..and it's his best friend. -If the rape issues...I want Mikado to not even want Kida touching him. He is afraid of everything...and Kida. Cause in a corner of his mind, he knows he led that gang...and thinks Kida made them do it to him. -Mikado has night mares of the incident. And Masaomi has to deal with post traumatic shock from the other. -The relationship between the two during recovery doesn't just happen over night. It happens over time with the fic. I hate when they just rush in /-Smut issues, not preferred...but also welcome~ If it does, I want Kida to top. (If it was rape, show Mikado that it can feel good, then hurt) -Long prompt.. _ but oh well, I want more Mikado/Kida. ;n;

NOW! LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

Healing Spectrum: chapter 1

Mikado lay curled on his futon. His apartment in complete darkness. Only the eerie glow of his cell phone's screen giving off any light. The only noise was the constant whisper of rain hitting the windows outside.

He wasn't sleeping or even resting, he couldn't seem to feel the warmth from the blanket wrapped around him. It was like his body had gone numb, and his mind kept asking itself the same thing over and over again

'_Did I do the right thing?…"_

It had been a tough decision to disband the Dollars, especially after all their help when Sonohara-san had been in trouble. He'd rolled the question back and forth in his mind for hours, and the only answer he'd come to was that it was a very… "Dollars like" way of ending things.

They'd always been colorless, now they'd just go back to being invisible.

It was for the best right? The Yellow Scarves and Slasher would go away now right?

_***Bang Bang Bang***_

A loud knocking on his apartment door shocked Mikado out of his thoughts. He got up, turning on the light and pocketing his cell phone almost mechanically. The banging persisted even as he walked toward the door. He wasn't really thinking about anything though, like who would be coming to see him in the middle of a rainstorm, his mind had seemingly gone as numb as his body.

He reached the door and cracked it open just enough to see outside, his movements still robotic and rigid. As he peer out with his blue eyes to see who was on his doorstep

Flashes of yellow clothes snapped something in him awake, and he immediately tried to slam the door shut only for a metal bat to wedge in the gap. Mikado backed up slowly as three men with Yellow headgear and twisted grins forced their way into his apartment.

"Your Mikado Ryuugamine right?" one of them said while the other 2 snickered and sneered, "Leader of the Dollars"

Mikado was trembling now.

"How…" he couldn't find words, "who…"

"Our new boss would like to have a word with you."

The bat swung up, and came back down

Mikado knew no more.

* * *

><p>Celty hadn't really known what to expect when she rode to Mikado's apartment to tell him the truth about his friends, and see what he would do once he knew.<p>

But she certainly hadn't been expecting to find the door to Mikado's tiny apartment hanging off its hinges, or the entire room, unusually maddeningly neat to be in complete disarray. Mikado's computer was smashed, his futon was torn, and the small room lay in complete ruins.

With the words _**"DEATH TO THE DOLLARS" **_painted in Yellow across the carnage.

Celty didn't pause to think before running back out to her bike and racing towards the Yellow Scarves Hideout.

* * *

><p>Kida walked alone through the streets of Ikebukuro. The rain drenched him through to the bone yet he couldn't bring himself to care. His mind was moving at a mile a minute. He walked on, without direction, lost in his thoughts of all that had happened over the last few weeks.<p>

Anri was the Slasher.

Mikado led the Dollars.

It was all insane. His friends, the people he trusted the most… were hiding those huge secrets from him. Not that Kida really had room to talk, he'd never told them about the Yellow Scarves.

The blonde boy stopped and turned his eyes skyward for a moment, as if hoping the answers would just fall out of the sky with the rain.

Kida had no idea what to do, he walked on with no destination in mind. After all where could he go? Going to either of his friends would just lead to unwanted confrontation, his own house would just be as maddeningly empty and silent as always. He wasn't even considering Saki an option at this point. And going back to the Yellow Scarves would only serve to intensify the tempest of emotions inside him.

He didn't know how much time passed before his cell phone's ring snaps him from his thoughts.

Kida takes a brief look to see that's it's one of the Yellow scarves calling before answering, "What's going on?"

An obnoxious voice from the other line, _"Hey it's me, Horada" oh great, the violent Jackass who didn't know how to listen, Perfect._ Kida resisted groaning.

"Yeah, what are you calling for?" Kida quipped back, wanting to end the call as soon as possible.

"_Just so you know, we won't be needing you anymore."_

"Huh?" Kida replied, the message not really reaching his emotion charged mind.

"_You're no longer the head of the Yellow Scarves. Your ass is canned." _Horada sounded far too pleased with himself.

"What are you talking about?" Kida answered apathetically, he was really getting sick of this moron.

"_**Mikado Ryuugamine,**__" Horada sneered, " that's the name of your Best Buddy right?" _

Kida Stopped short, dread beginning to pool in his chest, wiping away the emotional whirlwind he'd been stuck in. Mikado's name should _**NOT**_ be coming from the mouth of this violent creepazoid.

Horada continued, not waiting for a reply , _"Isn't that shocking, the leader of the Dollars is best friends with the head of our own gang"_

Panic began to sneak in next to Dread in a tap dance around Kida's insides, "Just hold on," Kida said, "Who told you that?"

"_Who __**CARES **__how I found out?" _Horada replied, _"By the way, you did a pretty good job of tricking us this whole time, everyone's standing around completely shocked right now."_

Kida felt the muscles in his body tensing, his grip on the phone tightening. This was _**NOT GOOD**_.

"What are you going to do," The blonde high school student questioned, knowing full well he would in now way like the answer.

"_Go after the Dollars' leader of course,"_ Horada's words made Kida grit his teeth, _"in fact we've already sent a few guys to that shithole of an apartment he lives in to… __**invite him over**__."_

The sheer amount of PRIDE in Horada's voice as he informed Kida of his plans made the now-former gang leader want to punch his face. So much so that the young blonde wasn't really paying attention to Horada's last comment

"_And just so you know_, _there's a hit out on YOUR head too, you won't be able to show your face in Ikebukuro again, Bye, bye."_

The dial tone rang loud and sharp in Kida's ear. He stood there for a moment, seemingly shell shocked. He finally noticed that his hand was trembling as he brought his phone away from his ear.

"Mikado…" a single word, a single name uttered into the rainy dusk of Ikebukuro…

Panic and Dread were doing a tango in Kida's stomach as he brought his phone up and quickly clicked to his contacts and dialed a number he'd been calling all day…

"Pickup, pickup-pickup-pickup-please-pickup," Kida muttered under his breath, hand practically cracking his phone.

The phone didn't even ring, just a sharp, flat _***beeeeep***_ eerily similar to a heart monitor flat lining followed by a computerized voice informing him that the number he was calling was Disconnected.

A number he'd called not 2 hours ago and reached the voice mail of was _**disconnected…**_

**Mikado **_**NEVER **_**turned off his phone.**

Kida stood there, shaking in the rain, phone still held to his ear, dial tone ringing sharply from the speaker.

_Not again, _he thought, _Dear god not again._

Kida's mind was running a mile a minute again, but this time focused on a single subject: **Mikado. **

Scenes from all the time he'd spent with the raven haired boy ran like film across Kida's consciousness.

The Bashful look on Mikado's face when Kida first called him his best friend.

Running around playgrounds and schoolyards playing all manner of make believe games.

Many nights spent in Mikado's room with only a video games screen or a flashlight on the pages of a book to cut through the darkness.

The utterly dejected look on Mikado's face the day Kida told him he was moving to Tokyo, clearly wanting to cry but resisting because big kids didn't cry.

The simple comfort found in words spoken over a chat room through 3 insane years of being alone in a crowd.

The utter joy felt when Mikado informed Kida that he was moving to Ikebukuro.

The simple happiness that came from speaking face to face, and walking side with Mikado that first night on the town.

Meeting Anri, and all the enjoyable, though admittedly quiet walks home the 3 of them had shared since.

That weird summer night involving lost bags and animal ears

Mikado smiling, Mikado laughing, Mikado calling his jokes lame, Mikado blushing at his suggestions involving Anri.

Mikado, Mikado, MIKADO.

Mikado, who had always been the one constant in Kida's Life. Mikado, probably the only close True Blue friend Kida had ever had…

Mikado… who was now in Danger.

Kida knew it would take far too long to run to Mikado's apartment and see if Horada's thugs had gotten there yet. The best chance Kida had was to try to get to the Yellow Scarves before THEY got to Mikado.

Kida dropped his cell phone and took off running.

He wouldn't be afraid, not THIS time.

End pt 1

And…. that's chapter 1.….

Reviews are loved!


	2. Stinging wounds

Chapter 2

_Ugh…. Why does my head hurt so much? _Was the first thought that ran through Mikado's head when he stirred from the drowning blackness of unconsciousness.

His mind was swimming, his senses returned to him slowly, he could feel a hard uncomfortable surface that he was laying on. Where the heck had he fallen asleep? Mikado tried to move his arms to push himself up, only to find that he couldn't…

Mikado felt a tightness biting into his wrists, making him squirm in discomfort, even though his mind was not yet coherent enough to understand his situation.

The raven haired boys hearing returned to him next, he could hear a clamor of murmurs all around him, to many to make out. But there were a few voices that he could hear if only barely

"_Is he waking up?"_

" '_Bout time! C'mon, wakey wakey Sleepin' Beauty!"_

The voices held scorn and mocking, and a few of the distant murmurs turned into equally hatful chortles. Directed at… him? But why…?

Mikado finally managed to crack his eyes open a sliver. Allowing blurry images to be seen, there was a bright light high above him, but a figure loomed over him menacingly. The figure wore a lavender dress shirt over what appeared to be a yellow t-shir-

Yellow…

The memories of being assaulted in his own apartment came back to Mikado in a flash. The young boy quickly shut his eyes tightly, trying to will reality away

_Please be a nightmare. Please be a nightmare. __**Please be a night-**_

"_Hey I said WAKE UP you little shithead!" _

A hand fisted painfully in raven hair and Mikado let out a yelp, attentively cracking his eyes open to see the face of his aggressor.

Well Mikado wasn't normally one to judge peoples looks, and didn't know if it was normal, or just the amount of bruises and bandages on the guys face, but DAMN this guy was _**UGLY**_.

And that ugly face twisted into a predatory sneer that definitely didn't give Mikado any hope for his situation.

_Damn it. Damn it. DAMNIT. _Mikado started swearing in his head. _Why did this happen?_

"He he that's better," the creepazoid sneered at the high schooler before letting out a mockingly happy shout, "Welcome, leader of the Dollars, to the Yellow Scarves home base!" this statement was punctuated by dropping Mikado back to the floor, and laughing at something only the creep found funny. A few of the crowd laughing with him out of obligation.

After he'd had his laugh the ugly creep leered down at the helpless high school student menacingly.

"I'm Horada, the New and Improved leader of the Yellow Scarves," Mikado almost forgot how much trouble he was in resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the now identified Horada. But once the punk leaned down, getting right in the bound brunettes face with a dangerous smirk.

"Would you like to know why we brought you here… Dollars boy?" Horada jeered. More cruel snickers came from the crowd.

Mikado felt himself trembling, he had a few ideas… and none of them were pleasant.

Horada stood back up to his full height, seemingly reveling in having the leader of the elusive Dollars helpless before him. He brought one foot up under Mikado's chin, forcing the raven haired boy to look into his maddened eyes, his sick smirk widening to a downright disturbing leer… Before Horada brought a sharp roundhouse kick to Mikado's cheek.

Mikado bit the inside of his cheek to keep from letting out a pained cry as a chorus of cheers began from the gathered gang members.

Horada's shit-eating grin only widened disgustingly as he observed a small line of blood flow from Mikado's mouth. He swiftly delivered another kick, this time to the black haired boy's chest. Mikado let out a sharp gasp of pain.

"I'm going to show you what happens to punks who think they can cross the Yellow Scarves and get away with it!" Horada peppered this sentence with more kicks to the helpless boy's abdomen, and punctuated it by pulling Mikado up by his shirt and punching the teen right in the eye. Horada reveled in every gasp, groan and half muffled cry of pain. But it wasn't enough for him. Oh _**No. **_Horada was gonna make sure this brat SUFFERED for the humiliation he'd been given at the Dollars hands not long ago. The kid would PAY. Horada wouldn't stop until the leader of the oh-so-cool Dollars was BEGGING for mercy at his hands.

"You aren't so tough without a computer to hide behind are ya, ya little punk!" another kick with the sharp heel of his shoe, to the kids shoulder this time, as Mikado let out a pained scream, Horada picked up a crowbar had he had lying on the elevated stage where he and Mikado were, his sneer widening as he bent down and brought the boy to his eye level by his shirt again."Ya know Kid, you kinda remind me of this girl I met once," Horada only got a groan of pain in reply, "She was a helpless little student, a lot like you," Mikado's pain hazed mind briefly registered that Horada was in desperate need of a breath mint or looked right into his captive's eyes, one of them almost swollen shut from the earlier punch."Do you wanna know what happened to her?" Horada mocked. Mikado's mind was too clouded pain and resisting the urge to cry he could barely wonder what the maddened street punk was talking abou-The crowbar came up and swung down 's scream echoed through the night.

* * *

><p>Masaomi breathed heavily as he ran at top speed through streets and Alleyways. Kida had never been this determined in his life. His body was running on pure instinct, dodging people, skidding for quick turns, even leaping trashcans in single-minded pursuit of his goal. Mikado's name became a mental mantra, squashing all other thoughts before they even had a chance to form. The Blonde boy felt adreneline pump through his veins as he came nearer and nearer to his he was entering the all too familiar old cargo bay area. Masaomi slowed down, creeping around stacks of barrels and crates on the look out for any members of his now former gang that may be prowling proved a good idea when a few yellow scarves did run by, their signiture color a bright, dead giveaway even in the post rain darkness of the night.<p>

_"Come on, we're missin' it!"_

_"I cant believe Horada really caught 'im!"_

_"I cant believe its really just a high school kid."_

Kida resisted swearing out loud, the bastard already had Mikado. He had to get a move on before-And that's when Masaomi heard something that made his blood turn to ice in his veins.A scream… An unearthly sounding, bloodcurdling scream… A scream in a voice he knew so well it was shaking, weather it was in frustration or something else, he didn't know, as he fought against his own mind to keep memories of the incident with Saki, that seemed like forever ago even now, at bay…His mind instead went to a different place, even longer ago, but so much more inviting…

***~*~*~*~*~*Flashback!~*~*~*~*~*~***

_First grader Masaomi Kida was… Bored, really, Really bored. It was recess time and Kida had no one to play with, the swings and jungle gym were already crowded, And the sandbox had too many giggling girls in sighed and ran a hand through his light brown hair, girls were nice, but if you got a bunch of them in one place they were really annoying. In a cute way… But Cutely Annoying was still sighed and crossed his arms, huffily leaning back against the wall, resigning to just stay there for the rest of recess. Until he heard something was crying…Kida shifted his gaze to the source of the noise. The future blonde took in the sight of a group of older boys clustered in a circle, cruel snickers coming from them as the crying emenated from the center of the circle._

"Hehe, look at 'im! He's really crying, what a baby!"

"Yeah Baby! HAHA! Gaa-ga-goo-goo- wa-wa? Do you know what I said you baby!"

"Does Baby need a daiper change?"

_Masaomi almost rolled his eyes. bullies. And horribly cliché bullies at first the young boy tried to ignore, them, but hearing the sobbing of their victem seemed to make something inside Kida clench with unfamiliar sighed, well it was better than doing nothing. He drew himself from the wall and made a confident strut towards the group of bullies, still caught up in making the poor tormented one cry even louder._

_"HEY!" All of the bullies ceased their jeers and taunts, turning to see who had intruded on their fun._

_"What do you want shrimp?" the apparent leader asked._

_"Picking on kids isn't cool!" Kida said plastering a big grin on his face, _

_"Girls wont like you if you make little kids cry like that!" the young boy said it in the most "manner of fact" way leader scoffed, advancing on Masaomi, glaring down at the first grader. _

_"And Just what would you know about girls you little louse?"Masaomi went on smiling, _

_"You know, bad things happen to people who hurt kids!" The bully came right up and got in Kida's face, fisting his hand in the first graders short sleeved hoodie."Oh yeah? Like what?" Kida took a deep breath and called out, _

"_SEEEEEEEEENSEEEEEEEEEEEEI! THE BIG KIDS ARE PICKING ON ME!"Kida watched in smug victory as the lot of bullies were dragged away by displeased teachers before finally returning his attention to the now visible bullying victem, still sniffeling and crouched on the pavement._

_It was a boy that Masaomi recognized from his class, nothing outstanding visually about him. Neat, short black hair, a bit on the short side, dressed in a green striped t-shirt and blue shorts. He didn't seem like anything special, or out of the yet Kida felt an irresistible draw to him, he didn't know why, even when he walked up and knelt down beside the boy, who was still sniffling with his face in his hands._

_"Hey, its alright now, those meanies are gone," Masaomi said, getting the boys attention," so you can stop crying now." Masaomi put on a million dollar boy looked up at his savior, and Kida felt himself immediately enamored with the cute face and big blue eyes looking at him nervously._

_"th-their gone?" the boy asked in a voice that was officially the cutest thing Masaomi had heard in his young life._

_"Yep!" the hoodie-clad boy quipped with a smile as the raven haired child wiped his eyes cutely, geez everything about this kid was SO FREAKING CUTE!"My name is Masaomi Kida!" Kida introduced himself, "whats your name?"_

_The boy froze up, "…I can't tell you."_

_Kida quirked an eyebrow, "why not."_

_"YOU'LL LAUGH AT ME!" the blue eyed boy yelled, "like they did…" he buried his face in his arms again and pouted before putting a comforting hand on the other boys shoulder, making him look up again._

_"c'mon now, I promise I wont laugh," Masaomi gave the boy a gentle smile, "cross my heart and hope to die!"_

_*sniffle* "really?"_

_"Really, really."_

_The boy paused."Mikado" the soft voice finally said, "My name is Mikado Ryuugamine."_

_"Mikado Ryuugamine…" Masaomi repeated, liking the way it rolled off his tounge._

_"See! You think it's stupid!" Mikado assumed, hiding his face again._

_"No No!" Kida said bringing his hands to Mikado's shoulders, _

_"I think your name is really awesome!" he said sincerely._

_"Really?"_

_"Really, really." They sat there in companiable silence for a few short moments."… Ya know Mikado, we should be friends!" Kida piped up out of nowhere._

_"Huh?" Mikado was confused._

_"Yeah, we can be friends, and I swear I'll protect you from anymore bullies!" Masaomi quipped happily, before holding out his pinky in a gesture of promise, "I promise alright?"_

_Mikado was confused by the happy boy in front of him but none the less found himself linking his pinky with Kida's, "umm, alright."The bell decided to end recess right at that moment, and Masaomi jumped up from the ground, holding a hand out to his new friend._

_"C'mon, lets go Mi~ka~Do~!" Masaomi cracked an adorable smile as he took his new friends hand._

_"Ye-yeah!"They ran back to class together And Masaomi made a decision in that moment. He decided, that he really liked Mikado's smile, and wanted to make him smile as often as possible from then on._

*~*~*~*~*~* END Flashback!~*~*~*~*~*~*

So much had changed since the day he met Mikado, And yet so much hadn't...

the location was far different than a the school yard or playground…

The Bullies were far more dangerous, they had weapons, and the willingness to kill…

There were no teachers to call for to punish the bad guys…

And yet Kida was still determined to save his best Friend...

He creeped out from his now-unnecessary hiding place and moved one, with new resolve, towards the abandoned warehouse Mikado's scream had emenated who hurt Mikado, Physically or otherwise, would have to answer to him. That was the way it had been since elementary school, and that was the way it would be.

Not as much had changed as Kida had thought.

And that was Ok...

* * *

><p>Mikado's mind was swimming again, drowning in the choppy ocean that was pain. Mikado took any shuddering breath allowed to him, desprete to keep from the tempting clutches of unconsciousness. He didn't know why, after all most people would consider being unaware a blessing in his situation.<p>

Any other person would love the idea of retreating to their own minds. To fall into that blackness and be numb to the continued pain of being punched kicked, thrown around like a rag doll. To ignore the jeers and cheers that had long since dissolved into indiscernible white noise…

To forget about the searing pain that enveloped both his legs…

Tears of pain were running down Mikado's face as he contemplated this, currently laying facedown with Horada's foot at his back. The brunette couldn't help but think that this state of mind was oddly like being so tired that you couldn't even fall asleep….

…Or maybe it was just that if Mikado died, he wanted to see it coming…

Horada was monologing at Mikado, though the bound and beaten boy had long ago ceased to understand what he was saying. And aside from now practically involuntary sounds of pain he'd stopped responding to the mans actions.

But when Mikado felt the back of his shirt being torn open, he couldn't stop himself from tensing in fear.

When Mikado felt the cool sting of metal against this right shoulder blade he couldn't stop his body from tembling.

And when Horada began carving into his back with a knife, Mikado couldn't stop himself from sobbing openly at the pain.

* * *

><p>Masaomi arrived at the warehouse in record time, he shuffled along the wall silently as possible, not that such stealth was really needed with the ravenous cheers of the crowd inside .<p>

It sickened Kida to know those cheers were in response to Lord Knows What horrors Mikado was being put through in there. The bleach-blonde grit his teeth, Mikado had never done anything to warrant this, even if he had started the Dollars… Mikado didn't deserve this… Mikado hadn't hurt anyone damn it!

Kida clenched his fists, Horada would pay. The violent jerk would PAY for making Mikado cry out like that. Kida was going to make sure that bastard felt every bit of pain Mikado felt and THEN SOME! Kida was going to-

The seemingly distant sound of broken sobs, nearly drowned out by the crowd, brought Masaomi back to the present, slapping him in the face with the fact he still had to save Mikado first.

The blonde snuck the last few feet to the large open door and peered inside…

Just in time to witness Horada stab a knife through Mikado's hand. More cheers rose from the crowd in response to the act as Masaomi's honey-colored eyes went wide, aghast in horror as he watched his best friend, who Kida observed was already baring more injuries that Kida wanted to examine, let out a whimpering sob of pain, tears flowing from cloudy blue eyes.

"Hahahaha! that's right! CRY you little Maggot!" Horada cackled before taking a hold of Mikado's throat and dangling the crying boy off the floor as Mikado's uninjured hand weakly pried at his callous fingers, wearing an expression that belonged only in the worst of nightmares.

Needless to say, Masaomi had had enough. He grit his teeth again and clenched his fists so hard his nails drew blood from his palms, then he delivered a hard kick to the metal side of the warehouse before entering the door.

The resulting _**CLANG**_ was loud enough to quiet the majority of the crowd, as well as get Horada's attention as Kida delivered 3 simple words.

"**PUT. HIM. DOWN."**

The crowd parted like the red sea, allowing Horada's beady eyes to lock with Kida's livid golden-brown.

"What the hell are you doing here kid?" Horada was perplexed before letting a wicked grin come to his face again and tightening his hold on Mikado's neck, "Oh, were you jealous of all the attention your little friend here was getting?" Horada ended this statement with a cackle.

"Put. Mikado. Down." Kida demanded, face firm and voice even.

Horada stopped his laughing and stared at the blonde in disbelief. Just WHO THE HELL did this kid think he WAS anymore. This stupid little bleach blonde brat didn't have the right to tell him what to do anymore, he NEVER had. This kid should be on his KNEES at Horada's feet, BEGGING for mercy, and he struts in there like he OWNS the place (well, he technically HAD until a few hours ago, but that that was beside the point!) and has the GALL to make DEMANDS?

Horada leaned down slightly, never relinquishing his grip on Mikado's neck, and picked up the crowbar he'd used a little while ago, he'd show this stupid little punk who was boss.

"Last time I checked kid," Horada said, before raising his voice as he chucked the crowbar in Kida's direction "You, not longer have the RIGHT to order me around!"

The crowbar clipped Kida on his shoulder and the side of his head before falling off to the side of the blonde boy, who didn't even flinch. Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was sheer determination,

maybe it was the righteous rage running through his body telling him to rip Horada a new asshole. But for whatever reason Masaomi didn't even really feel the pain he should have felt when the crowbar hit, even when blood began trickling down his face from his newly acquired head wound. Kida bent down, picking up the fallen crowbar as Horada began another idiotic monologue.

"Why do you even care so much about this kid? didn't he like, lie to you and junk, not telling you about leading the Dollars and shit?" Horada was determined to make this situation work in his favor, if he could get these punks against each other (which he was totally convinced would be a piece of cake) then he'd still win, "And he lets his little computer-nerd minions go struttin' around 'Bukuro like they own the damn place, why should you care if this little shit winds up dead in an ally or some crap like that."

Kida glared up at the ugly bastard who was manhandling Mikado. Good Lord this guy was an Ass. Did he really think he could Kida against his best friend with a few choice words, and not a very well thought out speech either.

"The Dollars ceased mattering to me the moment you fired me," Kida said quite frankly. amused at the flabbergasted look that came to Horada's face, the blonde let one of his jovial smiles come to his lips, "Since you fired me, I'm just a normal high school kid again," Kida said finally beginning to walk down the aisle of people, only barely noting the sound of the heavy metal doors of the warehouse being closed, "I'm just a kid, a kid who hits on girls and tells bad jokes, just a Kid, whose here for one reason and one reason only," Kida leveled an acidic glare at Horada, "…to keep a promise I made to my best friend."

Kida then turned his eyes to Mikado again, honey orbs softening as they met with bleary, half opened blue ones. Mikado's lips moved, barely, But Kida noticed it, the captured Dollars leader only mouthed one word, most would think it would be "Help" or something equally simple. But Masaomi saw his own name on his best friends lips easily, and saw the pleading message in those half awake eyes. The blonde sent his silent own messages of reassurance back to Mikado, and could only pray the raven haired boy was coherent enough to understand.

Kida's eyes became fierce instantly as he turned them back to his friends tormenter, the boy strode forward confidently, the blood streaming down his face, ruining his favorite hoodie, went unnoticed, his grip tightened on the crowbar in his hand, Kida was ready to fight, to kill or be killed if necessary. As long as he got Mikado out of there, nothing else would matter.

"So I'm going to say this one more time, and only once more Horada, before I get really, really, REALLY mad," Kida growled, **"Put. My. Friend. Down. **_**NOW**_**."**

End ch 2


	3. Rescue

Chapter 3

By the time the sharp, metallic pain caused by the knife moved from his back to his hand, Mikado was already struggling to remain conscious.

It HURT damn it. It hurt so god damn much. Tears flowed down Mikado's face in rivers and ragged sobs of pain seized freedom from his throat. Dear god Someone, Something, anything, just make the pain STOP. Mikado didn't care at this point if he was killed, knocked unconscious or saved, as long as the pain stopped.

When Horada lifted him by the throat, forcing him to look out into the ravenous crowd Mikado struggled minutely before deciding to accept his fate. This is it, he thought, this is the end.

It was a strange thing to realize he was going to die, Mikado had always heard that ones life was supposed to flash before them the moment they died, but all he could think about was all the things he would never get to do.

He would never finish high school, or go to college, or get a job.

He would never get to awkwardly confess his love to a girl he liked, or get married, or have kids.

He would never be able to see or hug his parents again, telling them how much he really loved them.

He would never spend a day out with his friends again, laughing and joking and eating ice cream in West Gate Park.

He would never walk home with Anri and Masaomi again, listening to his best friends terrible jokes the entire time.

He would never even see Masaomi's goofy smile again.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, IT WASN'T FAIR-

*CLANG*

The sound rang through Mikado's already ringing ears, and silenced most of the voices in the crowd. A new voice entered the area, loud and commanding presence, seemingly going back and forth with Horada's oily voice right by his ear… it was tantalizingly familiar, though Mikado's pain-clouded mind couldn't place it…

Until bleary blue eyes met warm caramel ones. Mikado's eyes widened and his dear friends name was mouthed by his lips almost like a reflex..

Masaomi…

Unable to find his voice, Mikado spoke with his eyes instead, pleading with any diety watching that Kida understood.

'_Please make it stop…'_

Kida's eyes looked back at him with an expression Mikado had seen many times in the years he'd known the other boy.

'_Don't worry,' _the expression said, '_everything is going to be okay now.'_

* * *

><p>Kida strode forward towards Horada, looking frightfully intimidating considering that every other person in the building was many inches taller than him.<p>

The blood coating his face and soaking his hair and clothes hightened the ferocity in those molten golden-bronze eyes, making them glow with promises of pain and retribution. Masaomi's grip tightened on the crowbar at his side, showing he was ready to use it on anyone who tried to stop him.

Horada was near panic and yelled to the gathered Yellow Scarves, "Wh-What the hell are you all just standing around for?" he growled before pointing at the approaching boy, "GET 'IM!"

Horada's orders seemed to break the spell that many of the gang members had been put under from Masaomi's sudden arrival, and many descended on the young blonde, brandishing all manner of improvised weapons.

Masaomi let his body go on auto-pilot, even as many of the attacks began to connect, he kept his grip on the crowbar firm and stuck back swiftly and without mercy. One by one his former subordinates fell to the ground, some bleeding, or clutching their limbs in pain as they scurried back to the safety of the crowd. Masaomi felt the desire to spit on the ones who began shedding tears from the single blows he'd landed, as if they deserved sympathy after reveling in Mikado's torturous experience.

These low lives deserved whatever pain he could dish out and more.

It wasn't long before Masaomi stood before the elevated platform. The crowd now all standing off to the side, many backing away slowly, others too injured or too scared to even move.

Masaomi turned his blood-framed eyes up toward Horada, who was frozen in shock and visibly trembling, losing his cool at this point.

Kida let a smirk come to his lips, and made a claw like motion with one of his hands, "Rawr!" Kida hissed, holding back a laugh as Horada dropped Mikado to the platform and ran off somewhere, Kida didn't even bother looking to see where the dirty coward had run. Instead he turned his attention to something that mattered far more.

Mikado.

Masaomi dropped the crowbar and stood on his toes to carefully lift the raven haired boy from the platform, handling him as carefully as possible. When his arm touched Mikado's back he felt a dampness, blood. But The Blonde still couldn't bring himself to analyze the full menagerie of injuries dealt to Mikado, but he pushed all thoughts of it to the back of his mind, telling himself he'd worry about that only after he'd gotten Mikado safely out of harms way.

But that was beginning to look like it would be a challenge in of itself, because even as Kida turned himself around, Mikado carried princess style in his arms, the adrenaline was already ebbing from his system. He was beginning to feel aches in his head, shoulder and abdomen. Lightheadedness from lost blood was entering his body as well. Masaomi found it a chore to even take the first step away from the platform and keep Mikado safe in his arms at the same time.

_God damn it_, he thought, _not now damn it._

Kida took another step, more of a stagger actually, forward toward the exit, it became harder to keep his balance by the second, he felt fatigued, tired… like he would fall over at any-

Masaomi's thoughts were interrupted when a gentle hand came to fist itself in his bloody hoodie, he stopped for a moment and turned his eyes down, where they met with a pair of tired blue eyes, one almost swollen shut. Mikado had a barely there smile on his lips, and his eyes radiated gratitude. Masaomi let a smile come to his own lips and clutched Mikado slightly tighter.

They weren't out of the woods yet, but Kida, half dead on his feet, let further determination bloom in his aching chest. He was about to continue his trek to the door when he heard a sound from behind him.

_***Click***_

Masaomi turned his head around to be greeted by the sight of Horada wielding a GUN that was aiming at him.

NOT GOOD.

"**SKREW IT ALL! YOU BRATS CAN DIE TOGETHER!" **the thug raged.

Masaomi braced himself and did his best to shield Mikado.

The trigger was pulled, and a shot rang out in the musty air of the warehouse.

Kida waited, for pain, for anything, but nothing came.

"What the HELL did you do that for man!" he heard Horada rage

Masaomi dared to open his eyes again and was met with a most unusual sight.

"Uh- sorry boss, Its just I think Mother might be depressed if you killed these guys."

One of the Yellow Scarves members in the crowd, eyes glowing red, was holding a length of pipe that he had apparently used to knock the gun out of the now confused Horada's hand.

"I can tell," the guy said, voice monotone, "that Mother is going to be here, very soon."

Kida didn't even have enough time to be confused, or make any guesses about what that had meant before a sharp sound, metal on metal, cut through the air in the ware house. Masaomi turned his head forward just in time to witness the massive metal door of the warehouse fall off its rusted guide rail in two neat halves, the cold air of the night rushing in through the open space.

And when the dust had cleared, there stood none other than Anri Sonohara, brandishing a katana with her eyes glowing red behind her glasses.

"Anri…-Chan?" Masaomi Managed to say, having temporarily lost the ability to think. He'd known that Anri was the Slasher but seriously, HOLY CRAP. Any thought that could have been formed in his mind was batted aside violently by the overwhelming fact that Anri, sweet, shy, boobylicous Anri-chan, had just _**SLICED **__A __**FUCKING STEEL DOOR **__IN HALF WITH A __**KATANA**__. _

"Kida-kun!" Anri called, running over to her friend as if she hadn't just preformed an impossible feat, "Kida-kun, Please listen, I know your not happy about me keeping things from you but please, PLEASE hear me out! You're in terrible dan….ger…." Anri's voice wound down like a music box when she caught sight of the now unconscious form in Kida's arms.

All at once her eyes we wide as dinner plates, one hand flew to her mouth to hold in a scream while the other tightened around Saika's handle.

"What is th… Ryuugamine-kun… why… who…?" she couldn't find the words but Kida understood what she felt and what she wanted to know.

What was going on. Why was Mikado a beaten, bleeding wreck. Who had done it, and why…

Kida summed it up in the simplest words possible.

"They hurt him."

"They…" Anri paused and looked at the gathered Yellow Scarves as if she hadn't noticed them until that moment, "but-"

Kida groaned loudly enough to cut off Anri's question his head had begun to throb with more acute pain then before, and his knee's almost buckled for a moment. Anri reached out attentively and steadied him

"Anri-Chan," Masaomi pleaded, "as much as I would love to explain this whole mess we should really get out of-"

"NONE OF YOU ARE LEAVING!" Horada bellowed, "YOU HEAR ME? NONE OF YOU BRATS ARE LEAVING THIS BUILDING ALIVE!." Horada snapped his fingers and the few of the gang members who hadn't been scared shitless by the displays of power from the 2 currently conscious teens (which weren't many) moved in next to their boss, weapons at the ready.

Kida cursed under his breath, even with Anri's help he didn't have him in it to run for the exit, especially not with delicate cargo weighing down his arms. And to make matters worse a few of the gang members near the entrance were moving to block the large hole left by the door. Damnit they were gonna need a miracle to get out of-

The sound of an eerie horses whinny sliced through the night as a certain black clad being on a motor bike tore their way into the warehouse.

Celty skidded her horse to a stop n front of the 3 gathered friends, dismounting quickly, examining the trio as she approached them, she hadn't been expecting Anri to be here. When she saw the state Mikado was in, she was appalled, but before Celty could reach or her PDA, Horada shouted more orders.

"There it is, the Black Rider!" the ugly bastard shrieked, looking once more to the other Yellow Scarves, "C'mon Hurry up! Lets taking that freaking thing down!"

The Yellow Scarves moved in, surrounding the group, apparently regaining their arrogance and confidence, from where, no one could guess, as if they had more chance of taking down the living urban legend than three high school kids, two of whom were injured.

Masaomi resisted the urge to curse under his breath again, carefully backing away from the advancing horde, even though his legs felt like they would give out any second now. The blonde desperately trying to come up with a way to at least get Mikado out of this warehouse and to a safe place, but the thinking just made his head ache worse.

"OK, DO IT NOW!" A voice came out of no where, startling Horada and the surrounded group, and one by one random members of the crowd started attacking others, initiating fights though out the whole warehouse. The confusion enveloped the whole crowd, drawing their attention away from the four in the center of the room. Masaomi decided to take advantage of the confusion and took the opportunity to hold Mikado's battered form out towards Anri.

"Could you take him from me?" Masaomi asked, Anri looked from Mikado to Masaomi and back again, "Its just, I think I might collapse soon, so…" Anri got the message and recalled Saika, carefully taking the unconscious boy into her own arms.

"Wh-What the Hells going on here?" Horada asked looking at the calamity occurring all around him.

He and everyone else got their answer to that question in the form of a familiar figure in a green jacket and black beanie hopping up on top of the rusted out car in the corner, a Yellow Scarves member in each arm. He locked eyes with Horada, who had started shaking, and dropped the two he was holding before walking over to the beady eyed creep and lowering the yellow bandana from his face with a greeting of 'yo!', revealing none other than Kyohei Kadota, with a smug grin on his usually grouchy face.

"KA-KA-KADOTA!" Horada stuttered, "wh-what the…" dramatic finger point, "LISTEN HERE ASSHOLE-"

"So wearin this was enough to fool you huh?" Kadota interrupted, "I guess just letting anybody join, wasn't such a good idea~" the smug satisfaction in Kadota's voice was dripping off his words

"Kyohei…" Masaomi said in an almost whisper, barely keeping himself on his feet, "what's happening here…?"

"Listen," Kadota said, with his serious face back on, " It was Saburo that brought it all back to me, he helped me to remember something, you see when Izumi got arrested, there was this other guy, name Horada who never got busted," Horada tensed, "so I decided to get together 30 or so of my closest friends, then we all found some Yellow Scarves and came here" the grin was back, "Walker and Erika would stand out to much, so we left them in the van."

Celty and Anri moved up beside Kida and Kadota, backing Horada up against the base of the platform with now way to escape. They all glared him down, Anri resisted the urge to tighten her hand's grip as she cradled Mikado as carefully as possible, not caring about getting blood on her school uniform.

"I was hoping I'd never have remember your ugly mug again," Kadota stated, "you loser, you make me wanna hurl_."_

Masaomi's urge to kill was beginning to return to him. Horada… this bastard… he was the one who broke Saki's legs all that time ago, wasn't he. And then tonight… Kida stole a glance at Mikado, dead to the world in Anri's arms, the wounds on his back staining blazer sleeve red.

Kida stepped forward, eyes ablaze with killing intent, "you bastard…" he ground out.

Horada turned his eyes to the floor, looking for his dropped gun, where the hell had it gone….

"You bastard." Kida growled louder taking a step forward.

Horada panicked and drew a switchblade from his clothes, aiming to stab the advancing blonde. Kida dodged the sloppy move easily and sent Horada to the floor with a single punch.

And then, just for the sake of adding insult to injury, Masaomi aimed a hard kick where it _really_ hurt.

Masaomi stood there panting in rage for a moment before the fatigue, injuries and lightheadedness finally over took him and his knees buckled, he fell backwards, barely hearing Anri call his name. before the world went black, a single image flashed across his eyelids, an vision of Mikado mere moments after their reunion that first night, the excited smile and joyful look in his eyes.

Please, Masaomi thought as the sounds around him faded, jus please be ok.

End ch 3

Im sorry this last parts so rushed but im really eager to get to the hurt comfort stuff.!


	4. Reawakening

Chapter 4

Masaomi returned to the waking world slowly, eyes cracking open a fraction to let in the light of the world, the blurred image of a plain grey ceiling, and the glow of a light above him. As his senses came back from the oblivion of sleep he caught the smell of medical equipment, like a doctors office. His head and chest still hurt, but not nearly as much as before.

"Kida-kun?" came a cautious voice from his left. Masaomi turned his head to see Anri sitting beside him, a worried expression on her face that turned into a gentle smile, "You're awake!"

"Anri-chan…" Masaomi, now fully aware, took a quick glance around his surroundings. He was lying on a futon in what appeared to be a traditional Japanese appartment room, not a hospital like he expected to wake up to, "where am I?" he asked.

Anri looked sheepish, "well… sorry I know we probably should have taken you to a hospital… but Celty-san's roommate is a doctor so we just thought… it was the first place we thought of…" she stammered, unsure of how to explain it.

"Celty…?" Kida asked confused, as he managed to sit up only barely wincing as his abdomen objected to the action with stabs of pain. Kida took the opportunity to look himself over, he was wearing a tee-shirt that was a couple sizes too big over his boxers, he felt bandages around his head and chest.

"Celty-san… is… she's the Black Rider…" Anri trailed off, an awkward blush coming to her face. A small silence followed that

"You… do know the Black Rider then..?" Kida left the question to hang in the air awkwardly

"Um… yeah…" Anri said averting her gaze from her friend, "She's… helped me a couple of times…" and awkward silence followed the question as both we're struck by memories of a certain rainy night not too long ago, and the painful confrontation that followed.

Kida rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Um… Anri… about awhile ago… the things I said…. I… I'm really sorry…"

"No!" Anri said suddenly shaking her head and meeting Kida's gaze once more, "I'm the one who should be sorry! I shouldn't have followed you that night… But…" she paused, looking to the side before meeting her friend's golden brown eyes with her own dark brown, "I was worried, you were acting so strange and-" Anri was cut off when Masaomi moved one of his hands over her own.

"We're still friends… right Anri-chan?" The bleach blonde said with a gentle, genuine grin.

Anri let a smile come to her own lips, "Yeah!" she piped, "Friends."

Kida smiled, before letting his smile fall into a worried look as he remembered the missing part of their little triangle.

"Where's Mikado?" He asked, trying to remain calm while tightening his grip on Anri's hand, "Is he okay? Please-"

" Well, that kinda depends on your definition of 'Okay'," came a voice that startled both of the teens, who whipped their heads around to see a man with short brown hair, glasses and a white lab coat standing in the open sliding doorway.

Kida stared at the new arrival for a minute before turning his eyes to Anri in an obvious question. That Anri quickly understood.

"Oh! Kida-kun, this is Kishitani Shinra-san, Celty-san's roommate." Anri said.

"Helloo~!" Shinra chimed, "Nice to finally meet you when you're not unconscious Masaomi Kida-kun! How are you feeling by the way?"

"Uh… I'm fine… A little sore but…" Masaomi took a deep breath, his voice cracking, "**But what did you mean just now**!" panic was seeping into the blonde boy's veins again. Mikado couldn't… no… not after… No, NO… please God no…. Tears began to pour down Masaomi's cheeks at the mere thought of it.

Shinra looked momentarily confused before holding up his hands defensively once he realized what he had accidentally implied, "Wai-Wait I didn't mean it like that at all! Mikado-kun is going to be fine, he's still asleep in the other room," Masaomi visibly relaxed, beginning to wipe his eyes, until Shinra started babbling again, " I just meant that I'm pretty sure the conventional definition of 'okay' doesn't include someone having both legs broken, a stabbed though hand, a sprained wrist, a dislocated shoulder, not to mention the terrible cuts on his ba-" Shinra's ramble was cut off when Celty appeared, helmet off with smoke billowing from her empty neck, and punched him in the gut.

Shinra doubled over, looking up at his beloved dullahan with a pout, "Ceeeeelty~! What was that for?" he half gasped, half whined.

Celty took a moment to type her response on her PDA before showing it to him.

[ YOU'RE NOT HELPING!]

"Huh?" Shinra asked, before he noticed the blonde on the futon staring in his direction, eyes wide in horror at the list of injuries Shinra had spouted off, hand tight around Anri's, who had begun to rub soothing circles on her friend's back.

Shinra straitened up, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, "But like I said, he's going to be just fine, nothing lots of rest, a couple casts and some bandages can't help after all. " The underground doctor tried to be as comforting and cautious as possible with his words this time.

"…It's my fault…" Kida's voice was barely audible.

"Kida-kun…" Anri whispered, her eyes worrisome.

"It's all my fault!" The tears flowed anew from the boy's golden brown eyes, "I should have gotten there sooner! I shouldn't have sat idle for so long after I found out about the Dollars! I should have kicked Horada out the minute he didn't listen to my orders! I should have-" Kida was cut off when a hand peeking out of a pitch black sleeve landed on his shoulder. The boy looked up into eyes that weren't there as Celty raised her PDA into his field of vision.

[ Don't talk like that. No one is blaming you, so don't blame yourself.]

"but…" Kida couldn't find words, the combination of regret, anger and fear in his body taking away his ability to speak coherently.

Celty typed a new message

[You had no idea what that sick loser was going to do, it's not your fault. Besides, that bastard already got his comeuppance.]

Kida's lips fell into a confused pout, "he did?" the dullahan seemed to be giggling as she tried to type the next part, only for a snickering Shinra to jump in with the explination.

"Before that Horada guy decided to pull a mutiny on you, he made the mistake of trying to kill a certain person, a person who went after him and his goons while they were trying to escape last night and destroyed their car before getting them arrested."

Celty resisted the urge to shiver happily at the satisfying memory of those low-lives being curbstomped by Shizuo. But she composed herself a turned her PDA to Kida once more

[So cheer up, You're fine, and Mikado-kun will be fine too. You saved him Kida-kun, You saved his life.]

After reading the message, Kida let a misty look into his eyes and a half smile came to his lips, "I guess that's another thing that hasn't changed…" his whispered so quietly even Anri only barely heard him. He turned his eyes to the black clad women in front of him, "You're name is Celty, right?" Masaomi let a friendlier smile overtake his lips, the Dullahan typed her response with practiced ease.

[that's right.]

"Could you, take me to Mikado…" the blonde asked Hesitantly, already beginning to stand up, despite a worried Anri's protests, "Please," Kida asked as he shakily reached his feet, Anri coming up beside him to steady his shaking balance, "I need to see him, please…" begging bronze eyes were trained on the shadow clad woman. Celty paused for a moment before typing her response.

[follow me.]

Celty led Kida through the apartment with Anri close behind. It was slow going as the blonde struggled to keep his balance. But eventually they reached a closed door, and Celty turned her PDA to the blonde once more.

[Mikado-kun is inside, but he's still asleep so… be careful I guess…?] The dullahan was unsure of what to say.

"yeah… will do…" Kida said almost robotically, moving passed Celty to the door and sucking in a breath before opening it, entering the room beyond with Anri, Celty and Shinra watching his actions closely.

There lay Mikado, asleep just as Celty had said, and Masaomi finally had the time and clarity to examine the condition his friend was in.

The swelling around his right eye had gone down, allowing Mikado to look reasonably peaceful in sleep, even with a few large bandages on his bruised cheeks and forehead. What could be seen of the raven haired boy's neck and shoulders from under the too large tee-shirt he was in (Kida guessed that it and the one he was wearing were Shinra's) was wrapped in gauzy white bandages. Mikado's left arm lay crossed over his body, bandaged from elbow to fingers and lying in a sling, a dot of red-brown peeking through at the center of Mikado's palm. His right arm lay lax at his side, an IV attached to it feeding what Masaomi could only guess was a painkilling solution into his bloodstream. Mikado was covered from chest to ankles by soft looking blankets, only his feet, elevated by a pillow and encased in black casts, peeked out of the blanket's folds.

Masaomi Slowly made his way over to the right side of the bed, his eyes not leaving Mikado the entire time, eventually kneeling next to the bed and reaching out his own hand to gently stroke Mikado's uninjured one, trying to fight back a new wave of tears threatening to spill over.

No matter what Celty or anyone else said, Masaomi still blamed himself for this whole crazy situation. In his mind the blonde went over every possible way he could have prevented the events of the previous night from happening.

If he'd run just a little bit faster.

If he'd had the guts to see Mikado directly instead of sulking in the rain trying to hide behind his cell phone.

If he'd kicked Horada out.

If he'd never returned to the Yellow Scarves. So many of these if's ran though the blonde's head it was impossible to keep track of them all.

If he hadn't invited Mikado to Ikebukuro.

If he hadn't been stupid and trusted Izaya.

If he hadn't even formed the Yellow Scarves in the first place…

Anything that could have prevented this from happening… Mikado shouldn't have gotten hurt… especially not for his stupid mistakes.

Masaomi had no words that he could say as he continued to look at his unconscious friend's peaceful face, tears he hadn't realized he'd shed blurring his vision. Finding something to say right now would be pointless. After all, words didn't matter if the one they were meant for couldn't hear them. So instead the blonde buried his face in the soft blankets covering Mikado and simply hoped that he found something to say by the time Mikado woke up. But in his mind, he had only one thing to say. A phrase he repeated over and over again

_I'm sorry, I'M SORRY, __**I'M SO, SO SORRY…**_

***~*~*~*~*~*dream sequence/flashback!~*~*~*~*~*~***

"_I'm really, REALLY sorry Mikado…" a dejected looking ten year old Masaomi said, eyes fixated on the pavement as he walked beside the darker haired boy, whose right arm was held in a cast and sling._

"_But… it wasn't your fault Masaomi…" Mikado said, giving his pouting friend a good natured smile while adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder._

"_Yes it was!" Masaomi said firmly, stopping abruptly and turning his face to look directly into Mikado's deep blue eyes, "It was my stupid idea to go and play outside at night!" Kida averted his eyes, locking them on the pavement again, " If I hadn't insisted on sneaking out, you wouldn't have fallen down that hill and…" caramel eyes made a shameful glance at the cast his friend's wrist was in._

"_But I was the one who was clumsy and tripped…" Mikado paused, displeased with his friend blaming himself, "it was an accident, its no ones fault okay…" he leaned down slightly so he could meet Masaomi's eyes again, "so please, PLEASE stop blaming yourself, you sound like a character in one of those cheesy shounen anime we like to make fun of!" Mikado smiled when that comment managed to draw a covered up chuckle from his hoodie-clad best friend._

_Masaomi just couldn't help himself, Mikado always knew just what to say, "Okay, okay… but I'm still sorry for my stupid idea…"_

_Mikado smiled at his friend, Holding out his uninjured hand, which the future blonde happily took._

"_Then how about this?" Mikado chirped as they continued on their way to school, "You help me with writing till my arm gets better, and I promise to talk you out of any stupid ideas you get from now on. Sound good?" _

_Masaomi responded with a good natured laugh, "yeah, that probably would be a smart thing to do… Mikado… I'm so freaking glad you're my friend…"_

***~*~*~*~*~*end dream sequence~*~*~*~*~*~***

Mikado awoke from his memories groggily, exhausted from the events that were still fresh in his pain and sleep addled mind . He cracked open his eyes to take in the sight of a plain white ceiling and a bright light bulb that immediately made Mikado want to close his eyes again. Mikado soon began to feel dull aches all over his body, a stiffness in his legs, and a warmth around his right hand. He could smell medical equipment, like a hospital, but not as overpowering.

There was only one sound near him that Mikado could make out as he rose more firmly from the haze of unconsciousness, slighty muffled, but hearable none the less.

Someone was… crying?

Mikado managed to crane his aching neck just enough to get the blinding overhead light out of his field of vision, and was finally able to analyze his surroundings, but the raven haired teen barely gave the room a quick once over before focusing on a figure crouched beside his bed.

A familiar head of bleach-blonde hair lay facedown in the sheets next to him, fidgeting with what sounded like muffled sniffles and hiccups. A warm hand clutching his own tightly. Mikado eyes widened in happiness even as his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Masaomi…" his voice was quiet and raspy, barely there, but the addressed blonde heard it and went stick still clearly wondering if it had been his imagination, "Masaomi…" Mikado said again, with as much volume as he could muster, which was barely above a whisper, but audible, and to further make his presence known by tightening his own hand around Masaomi's taking comfort in his friend's warmth.

Masaomi's head shot up from the sheets like he was awaking from a bad nightmare, and the blonde's red rimmed, caramel eyes met with Mikado's gentle blue gaze. More tears welled up in the former gang leaders eyes as he hiccupped out Mikado's name, bewildered and still unsure as to weather he was dreaming or not.

"Masaomi… why are you crying?" Mikado croaked out giving his friend a concerned look.

Masaomi just stared at his friend, for a moment seemingly completely unsure of what to do, before crying Mikado's name and launching himself at the injured boy, wrapping his arms around the raven's bandaged neck, almost not noticing the squawk of pain the boy beneath him let out as he quickly buried his face in the pillow beside Mikado's head, dissolving into a fitful mixture of Tears, apologies and half strangled chuckles an garbled exclamations of "you're ok, you're ok!". Masaomi reveled in the warmth of his friends body as the injured boy tenetivly returned his embrace with his uninjured arm. He pressed himself close to the blue eyed boy, as of he needed to feel the other clo0se to ensure himself that Mikado really was still there, still alive, still real.

By the time the blonde's tears and chuckles had dissolved into half hearted hiccups and giggles, the 2 had naturally slipped into a position that was far more comfortable for both of them. Their heads lay side by side on the pillow, Mikado's uninjured arm looped around Masaomi's body while the blonde had one hand gently touching Mikado's bandaged hand.

A silent decision passed between them, that talking, explaining things, worrying about each other, even their injuries, all those things that were sure to cause them hell later, could wait.

They were together, they were alive. For now, things were okay.

End ch 4.

That's where it ends for now.

Next chapter soon, promise


	5. Chapter 5: Let the healing begin

Chapter 5: Let the healing begin

'_Warm…' _that was the first thought that went though Masaomi's mind as he awoke, and the first thing he felt as well. Warmth, comfort, security, things he hadn't felt for what seemed like forever.

Caramel eyes cracked open blearily, not really wanting to leave the comforting oblivion of sleep, to view the ceiling of the small guest room. The first thing Masaomi noticed was that the room was far darker than her remembered, someone must of turned off the lights.

The bleach blonde turned his bandaged head to the side to take in the sleeping visage of the raven haired boy beside him. Mikado looked content in his slumber, a small hint of a smile on his lips. Masaomi couldn't help but let a smile come to his own lips at the sight, remembering all the times he'd slept over at Mikado's house in the past, almost always waking before the blue eyed boy.

Masaomi slowly lifted his hand from where it lay atop Mikado's bandaged one, and lightly brushed the soft raven hair with his fingers, tracing his hand along a large bandage on the raven's cheek. Bronze eyes examined the body laying beside him. From the bandaged brow and neck, to the bled through wrappings of Mikado's hand, laying across the boys body which looked scarily small and frail under the heavy comforter, all the way to the casts imprisoning Mikado's legs.

_This is all my fault…_

_All my fault…_

_Mikado…_

_It's all my fault…_

_Just like before._

Masaomi felt bile rise in his throat as unwanted memories rose in his mind, and he wasn't even aware he was clinging to the boy beside him until the unconscious teen stirred, slight murmurs and groans signaling his awakening and alerting the blonde boy laying beside him, who turned his honey eyes to the other boys face just in time to greet the sleepy blue ones that slowly fluttered open.

Mikado didn't seem to notice him for a moment until her blinked the sleep from those big blue eyes and finally focused the other teen.

"Masaomi…" just like before they had slept, Mikado's voice was strained, scratchy and barely above a whisper.

"Morning Sleepy head," Masaomi said with a half-forced smile as he sat up, never once breaking eye contact with Mikado, "How do you feel, you want anything?"

Mikado paused, thoughtful for a moment before choking out another word, "Water…"

"Gotcha," the blonde replied, sliding his legs off the bed and turning on a lamp that stood on a table beside the bed. He was about to get up ad go to the door when he noticed a large water bottle and two plastic cups sitting next to the lamp. He briefly thought that Anri or the Black Rider, Celty he mentally corrected, must have left it for them, as he opened the bottle and filled one of the cups before turning back to his injured friend, cup in hand.

"Try to sit up a little," Masaomi spoke softly, moving his free hand to help carefully move the other boy into a more favorable position, however the instant he head a murmur of discomfort from the raven, he stopped the motion, deciding Mikado was upright enough, and brought the cup to the boy's lips, Mikado's uninjured hand coming to hold the cup himself as he gulped the water down gratefully. The whole cup was drained in a matter of seconds and Masaomi lay the blue eyed teen back down with a slight smile.

"Better?" the blonde asked, setting the cup back on the side table.

"Yeah…" came Mikado's voice, still quiet and horse, but clearer and all together sounding much better than it had a moment ago. Mikado's blue eyes darted around the dimly lit room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, "Where are we?"

"The Black rider's place, apparently" Masaomi answered quietly, pouring himself his own glass of water that he quickly downed.

"Celty-san's…?" Mikado trailed off

"So you know her name too huh? Guess that's to be expected" Masaomi said as he turned back to his friend with a half hearted chuckle, only to notice that Mikado was staring at him with unreadable blue eyes, "Something wrong?" he asked.

Mikado's only response was to reach up to Masaomi with his uninjured hand, and gently brush his fingers over the bandages wrapped tightly around the blonde boys head.

"You're hurt…" The raven trailed off, a concerned look on his face, cerulean eyes locked with Kida's bronze orbs.

"Horada threw a crowbar at me…" The blonde said nonchalantly, putting on another half forced smile, trying to lighten the situation.

"A Crowbar!" Mikado rasped out with all the volume he could muster (still not much), his eyes widening as he sat up from the bed, only to immediately regret the action and let out a decent gasp of pain. Masaomi immediately moved to his ailing friend, his hands coming to rest gently on the other teen's shoulders.

"Take it easy, it's not that bad," Kida said, even though he had no idea of the actual severity of his injuries. But aside from his sore abdomen and a slight headache he really felt fine.

The blonde let his bronze gaze fall away from his friend, and let his hands fall into his lap for a moment, "Besides… compared to what you went through, a couple bumps and bruises are nothing."

Mikado let his blue eyes fall to his bandaged arm, sitting useless in a sling against his chest, and finally noticed the casts on his legs. His eyes darkened for a moment, unreadable.

"Still… you got hurt…" Mikado said, his vision blurring as he felt tears coming on, "for my sake… and-" he broke off his sentence when he felt a warm hand on top of his own and turned to look at the blonde sitting on the bedside, who locked eyes with him, dropping all fake smiles and looking into Mikado's blue eyes with an unreadable expression.

"Mikado…" Masaomi's voice sounded far off, but serious, "do you remember the day we met?"

Mikado blinked, a small smile coming to his face, "of course I do, how could I forget…"

"Then you should also remember the promise I made you."

Mikado paused, unsure of what to say or do to respond to that, as Masaomi raised his hand to cup Mikado's bandage studded face.

"I promised… that I would protect you, no matter what," the blonde's voice was firm as a small, sad, but genuine smile spread across his lips, "I've never forgotten that promise Mikado, and I never will," Bronze eyes went glassy with regret as they cast a glance over the battered body of the teen beside him, as the smile fell, "though, I guess I was a little late this time…" Masaomi trailed off, having run out of words, and turned his eyes back to Mikado, putting a sad smile back on his face as tears pricked in his honey orbs. His voice lost, all the blonde could do was look to Mikado for a response to what he'd said.

Mikado stared at his best friend, blue eyes wide and unreadable, and for a moment that seemed like an eternity, silence dominated the air.

Then all at once, tears welled in bright blue eyes, lips tightened into a line, and the next thing Masaomi knew, Mikado's crying face was buried in his own aching chest, the raven haired boy's unhurt hand clenching at the back of his shirt.

For a few long moments they stayed like that, Mikado trembling and crying in the arms of Masaomi, who wasn't able to do much other that return the other boy's embrace, until the blonde managed to find his voice once more.

"Mikado…"

"I-I was s-so sc-sca-scared…" Mikado said through the tears and hiccupping sobs, "I-I was so sure that… I th-thought… that I w-was going to…" Neither boy even wanted to think about the possible end of that sentence as the brunette trailed off, burying himself deeper into Masaomi's embrace with another incoherent sob.

For a moment, Masaomi was silent, as if he was unsure of what to do. But the act of comforting his best friend was not at all unfamiliar, though it had been quite some time since he'd needed to fulfill the long forgotten duty. But within the course of another moment, Masaomi fell into the familiar motions, once reserved for driving away tears caused by petty school yard bullies.

One hand fell to the small of Mikado's back, gently pressing the boy closer, as the other hand came up to pet Mikado's raven hair. The blonde gently traced soothing, barely there circles on his friends back, mindful not to agitate the brunette's injuries.

Neither boy knew how long they sat in that embrace, the room silent save for Mikado's crying and Masaomi's comforting whispers into his best friend's Ear.

"_It's okay…"_

"_You're safe now… you're alright…"_

"_Everything is alright…"_

* * *

><p>Anri sat outside the door separating her from her friends, knee's pulled to her chest, quietly resisting the urge to enter the room as she listened to the muffled, almost barely there sounds of crying coming through the walls.<p>

Anri buried her face in her knees, trying to block out the sound. Though she knew this was a futile effort. Even if she was able to block out the sounds of her injured friends distress, the maddened chorus of 'Love', 'Cut' and other incomprehensible insanity would never cease. And honestly, it was hard to decided which as worse: the maddened chorus of nonsense that filled her own mind, or the muffled, broken sobs drifting through the door.

A sudden touch on her shoulder pulled the bearer of Saika from her reverie. Red brown eyes looked up hesitantly, into the worried expression, or rather, lack there of, of Celty, who raised her PDA into Anri's field of vision.

[ Are you going to be okay Anri?] The concern in the words was obvious even though the Dullahan had no voice to speak them.

For a long while Anri just sat there, staring up into the bright screen with a blank face, as if she couldn't read the words in front of her, before finally answering with a slow, sorrowful shake of her head and a whisper, "I don't know…" Her gaze returned to the floor and a long, empty silence passed between the two, only broken by the slowly quieting, muffled crying from the room.

It surprised Anri to feel the burn of tears behind her eyes as she sat, listening to every sob, wail and hiccup, even as the sound became unbearable through the walls. She had long since thought she had no tears left to shed…

But this clenching in her chest at the very thought of her two dear friends…

The raven haired girl cast another saddened glance at the door before shutting her eyes and burying her face in her knees.

"This is… all my fault…" these words fell from Anri's lips softly, almost inaudible. As she cursed herself, Saika, her delayed actions, her parasitic nature, and her inability to even take revenge on the man who orchestrated her friends' misery. And even now she hated herself for not knowing what to do. She pulled her legs and arms closer, trying to shut out the cruelty of reality.

There was little Celty could do other than put down her PDA and carefully, gently, embrace the girl. She Irishwoman couldn't help but wish she had a voice to comfort the girl at this moment, to tell her everything would be okay…

The road to recovery looked quite long and hard for all three of the children. Long and difficult.

Celty could only pray that they were strong enough to pull though.

* * *

><p>Masaomi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, relief washing over him as Mikado's crying finally wound down to small, quiet sniffles and slow hiccupping breaths. The raven haired boy lay slack against the blond, hand still clutching Masaomi's shirt as the other boy continued to rub comforting circles on Mikado's back.<p>

"Better now?" Masaomi said with a small, quiet smile. He felt Mikado nod against his shoulder before the black haired boy finally raised his head from the bleach blonde's now damp shirt. Blue eyes now rimmed with red turned to look up into Kida's clear caramel eyes. The dark haired boy opened and closed his mouth, trying to speak, but all that came out was a hoarse cough, followed by a hiccup.

Kida smiled sympathetically at his friend, and gently eased the injured boy back into a comfortable lounging position against the pillows. The blonde poured the last of the water bottle into one of the cups and brought it to Mikado's mouth, helping the boy drink before settling the blue eyes boy back onto the waiting pillow and pulling the comforter up to his chest once more.

"there we go," Kida said with a quiet smile and he gazed down at his friend, "you alright?"

Mikado, still not trusting his voice, nodded slowly and tried to smile at the blonde, who looked at him with worried bronze eyes. Kida sat down on the edge of the bed and gently ran his hand through Mikado's black hair.

"Do you want anything else?" Masaomi found himself saying, "I mean… are you hungry or anything."

Mikado made a move to shake his head, only for his stomach to answer for him rather loudly, making Masaomi smile and Mikado blush and try to bury his face in the pillow.

"S-sorry…" the dark haired boy croaked out, "I… I haven't been eating… very well lately…" he trailed off awkwardly with another cough.

Masaomi struggled to keep his smile on his face, and resisted the urge to say he hadn't been practicing healthy habits lately either.

"Well then, Masaomi said standing up, "I guess I should go look into getting us some food." the blonde made to move towards the door only to find a hand tugging on the back of his oversized shirt and a pair of frightened blue eyes looking into his own confused caramel orbs.

"Please don't leave." Mikado said in a trembling voice. Masaomi's stunned look softened instantly and he kneeled by the side of the bed and took Mikado's hand in his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm not leaving silly, I'm just going to the other room," Mikado just looked at him pleadingly, making Kida feel guilty for even thinking of leaving the boy's side, but alas, it was necessary. He ran the back of his hand over Mikado's forehead and cast the boy his own pleading look. "You should try and get some sleep." the blonde said this with no room for argument, "I'll leave the door open, so if you need anything just call okay, I'll come running, promise." and with those words Kida stood up and headed for the door, opening it and exiting the room.

Mikado was left all but trapped on the bed hands trembling from the loss of warmth.

End chapter 5

AN: funfact, the name of this chapter was changed from "Reconcile" to "let the healing begin" due to the fact I decided to split up the planned scenes into more chapters. Stories can mess with their writers that way.

this didnt turn out as good as i thought it would


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